I don't take classes in climbing gyms. I feel foolish paying money for something I can get for free: cliffs and the great outdoors. I am primarily an outdoor climber and I learned how to lead sport by doing it informally at Rumney in New Hampshire. My first climbing partner when I started leading there was a 5.13 climber, so I got some good experience. But in the future, I will ask other bystanders at the bottom of crags about input about this issue, and I will watch them closely to see how they manage the rope as they climb up.

Concerning condescending attitude, this is a message forum after all. So I expect a certain amount of passive-aggressive responses and the like. It's the norm on the Interwebs. Even if the tone could use improvement, I feel honored that experienced climbers will give useful advice. Although I have noticed that many serious climbers are a cantankerous bunch.